Punch press mechanism



Nov. 25, 1947. R. HuTcHlNsoN PUNCH PRESS MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 26, 1946 Nov. 25, 1947. R. HUTCHINSON PUNCH PRESS MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Filed Jan. 26, 1946 Patented Nov. 25, 1.947

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PUNCH PRESS MECHANISM Richard Hutchinson, Woodbridge, N. J.

Application January 26, 1946, Serial No. 643,640

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in punch press mechanism, and the invention has reference, more particularly, to a novel punch press mechanism especially constructed and adapted for slotting and trimming the end portions of Venetian blind louvres.

In preparing Venetian blind louvres for use in an assembly thereof, and for cooperation with supporting and operating cables or cords, it is necessary to provide a slot adjacent to each end of each louvre, which is spaced a definite predetermined distance from said end, through which the supporting cords extend to a bottom member of the assembly to which the supporting cords are anchored. In addition to thus slotting end portions of the louvres, it is also necessary to trim the ends of the louvres in such manner as to both round oli the sharp corners of such ends and to assure that the ends of all louvres are equidistant from the slots adjacently provided there- 1n.

Having these requirements in View, the present invention has for an object to provide novel punch press mechanism for performing slotting and end trimming operations on the louvre members of Venetian blind assemblies; said punch press mechanism being provided with novel adjustable stop gauge means which is cooperative with the punching dies of the mechanism, and which assures proper positioning of the louvre members in the press subject to slotting and trimming operations, as the case may be.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

Illustrative embodiments of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a punch press according to this invention as arranged to perform a slotting operation upon end portions of a Venetian blind louvre; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional View thereof, taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 4 is another transverse vertical sectional View, taken on line 4 4 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a plan View of a punch press according to this invention as arranged to performa trimming operation upon end portions of a Venetian 2 blind louvre; and Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical sectional view thereof, taken on line 6 6 in Fig. 5.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

The novel punch press construction according to this invention comprises a base member I0. Upstanding from the rearward portion of said base member IU is a standard or column I I having at its upper end a forwardly extending arm I2 which terminates in a head I3. Said head I3 is spaced above and so as to overhang the forward end portion of said base member I0. Said head I3 is provided with a perpendicular slideway Ill, preferably closed at its front side by a detachable cap-plate I5 which is suitably aiiiXed to said head I3. Slidably movable in said slideway I4 is a reciprocable plunger member I6. Said plunger member I6 is provided with a bifurcate upper end portion II which projects exteriorly above the head I3. Engaged in said bifurcate upper end portion Il of the plunger member I6 is a manipun latable operating lever I8, the same being pivotally coupled with the plunger member by a cross-pin I9. Pivotally connected with the head I3 by a cross-pin 20 are upwardly extending links 2| which straddle said operating lever I8 rearwardly of the plunger member I6. Said operating lever I8 is fulcrumed on a pivoting pin 22 which is supported by and .between the upper ends of said links 2 I. Pull spring means 23 is connected between the rear end portion of said operating lever I8 and the base member Ill, the same being operative to rock the operating lever in counterclockwise direction about the fulcruming support therefor which is provided by the links 2I and pivoting pin 22, such movement of the operating lever being limited by abutment of its rear portion against the arm I2 of the standard or column Il. By this arrangement the forward portion of the operating lever is normally but yieldably held in upswung position, whereby to normally dispose the plunger member I6 in uplifted position. When the press is arranged for use in performing a slotting operation upon a Venetian blind louvre, as shown in Figs. l to 4 inclusive, a slotting die 24 of suitable cross-sectional shape is detachably affixed to the lower end of the plunger member I6.

Axed to the forward end portion of the base l is a female die plate 25 having a die aperture 26 which, when the press is arranged for use in a slotting operation, conforms to the slotting die 24; said aperture being disposed in vertical alignment with said slotting die. Said slotting die is shaped so that its end face 24' is oblique to the horizontal plane of said female die plate 25 and its die aperture 26, whereby in operation said slotting die 24 effects a shearing cut through the work rather than a direct punch, thus requiring the application of less force in performance of the slotting operation. The base Il] is provided with opening 21, through which cutaway 'material resulting from the slotting operation may escape from the female die plate aperture 26.

Cooperative with the punch press mechanism, as thus far described, is an adjustable work positioning gauge means. In one form and arrangement thereof as related to the punch pressrmechanisrn as adapted to perform slotting operations upon end portions of Venetian blind louvres, and as shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, said gauge means comprises a gauge carriage supporting frame. Said frame Vis formed by -a pair'of laterally spaced apart guide rails 28 having their inner ends affixed to the base YI0 in such relation thereto that said guide rails 28 extend outwardly from the right hand side of the base I8. The outer ends of said guide rails 28 are tied together by a transverse tie bar 29, including foot-pieces 30, whereby the frame is supported in horizontal plane. Said guide rails 28 are spaced apart for a distance approximating the width of Ya, Venetian blind louvre member to vbe operatedfupon, so that thespace intermediate said guide rails constitutes a slideway or receiving space in which an en'd portion of the louvre member 'may `be received and disposed in such manner as to ioverlie the female die plate 25 and beneath the plunger member of the press mechanism .and the male .die carried thereby.

Slidably supported by said guide rails 28, so Aas to be movable therealong, toward and from the punch press mechanism, is a gauge carriage comprising side members 3| which respectively slidably abut the outer edges of lthe guide railsy 28. Said side members 3| are joined together by va cross-bar 32 which extends transversely therebetween and beneath the guide rails 2,8. Afiixed to the top of one of said side `members 3l is a runner plate 33 which laps the Vupper outer :marginal surface of the adjacent guide rail 28, and carried on the top of the other said side member 3! is a combined runner and clamp plate 34 which .laps the upper outer marginal surface of .the opposite guide rail 28. Said combined runner and clamp plate 34 is loosely supported by retaining pins .35 which project upwardly from the underlying .side member 3l, so that said combined runner 4and clamp plate 34 may be squeezed down into binding engagement with the .adjacent guide rail 28, whereby to releaseably secure the lgauge carriage to the supporting frame in a desired adjusted position. The means for so operating the combined runner and clamp plate comprises a screwthreaded stud 36 which projects upwardly .therethrough from the underlying side member 3 I, on which stud is engaged a thumbnut 31 which may be tightened down to force said combined runner and clamp plate 34 into frictionally bound relation to the underlying guide rail 28, or 'loosened to release said combined runner and clamp `plate from such clamping relation in said guide rail,

whereby to free the gauge carriage for movement along the supporting frame.

Aii'ixed to the cross-bar 32 of the gauge carrige, so as to up-stand therefrom within the receiving space between the frame guide rails 28, is a stop member 38, which is preferably provided at its upper end with a guard lip 39 adapted to overhang its stop face 40. Said combined runner and clamp plate 34 is provided, in the marginal portion thereof which overlaps the underlying guide rail 28, with an indicator member or pointer 4| which is aligned with the stop face 48 of said stop member 38. Aflixed to the guide rail 28 with which said .combined runner and clamp plate 34 cooperates is a suitably graduated :scale member 42, the same (as shown) being graduated in vinches and fractions thereof denoting distance from the male die of the punch press to said stop A-member '38.

When using ythe punch press mechanism as arranged to perform a slotting operation upon an vend portion lof -a Venetian blind louvre L, the

gauge vcarriage is moved along the frame guide rails 28 to dispose the stop member 38 at a predetermined distance from the male and female die members of the press, calculated to' position the slot to 'be formed in the louvre at a `desired distance from the adjacent 4extremity of ysaid louvre. The gauge carriage and Vits stop Vmember having 'been thus'positioned, and thereupon vsecured against displacement 'by tightening down the combined runner land clamp plate J34,- the punch press mechanism is ready for vusein performing slotting `operations upon the louvres. In use, an end portionof'a louvre L -is passed-across the Afemaled-ie plate' 25 and beneath the -normally raised male die 24,so as to extend through the receiving space betweenthe guide rails V28 until its extremity is stopped fby abutment against the stop face 40 of the stop member 38, and beneath the `guard `1113539 Aof .the latter, whereby -thesame is heldagainst upwarddisplacement. lf desired, another yguard `lip l43 may .fbe provided to =over hang the receiving spacebetween the .guide rails 28 .atthe 4entrance thereto adjacent Vthe .press Vbase IU. When utilizing the punch press mechanism for slotting operations it .is desirable Ato .provide a stripperpla-te 44 .to overhang thefemale 1,die member 25 -in ,such spaced relation thereto as'to permit the louvre Aend to pass thereunder; `said stripper :plate is4 provided Vwith -an 'opening'45 to pass the male'die member '.124.

A louvre to lbe operatedu-pon having been yoperatively related [to the idies, and properly :disposed relative thereto by thelfgauge carriagestop member `38, the operator may swing down'the operating lever I8, thus Linducing descent rof the plunger member 1.6, whereby 'to ,engage lthe male die 24 with .the louvre,` so that descent of said male die -will shear through Athe body'of` the ylouvre with slot forming effect.

In preparing louvres for assembly in a Venetian blind structure, especially whenthe louvres Iare made .of sheet metal, it is .desirable to at leastturn away the sharp corners .at the extremities of Ythe slotted end portions of said louvres, soas to round ofi said corners, and thus avoid-the presence of sharp projections likely to catch :in and `perhaps injure vdraperies disposed adjacent Ythe 'Venetian blind when installed for use. .'I'o perform such trimming operations, the punch press mechanism of this invention may he modified to adapt the same therefor.A The punch Vpress mechanism as so modified is shown in Figs. '5 an'd`6 of the drawings. The general construction of the mechanism as so modified is substantially the same as already above described, as will be evidenced by the application to common elements of construction of corresponding reference characters; substituted or dierent parts being indicated by other reference characters in said Figs. 5 and 6. For example, the male die 46 is substituted for the slotting die 24 and is suitably shaped to trim away the sharp corners of the louvre extremities, and the female die plate 4l, which is substituted for the die plate 25, is provided with a die aperture shaped to conform to the male trimming die 46. Otherwise the construction of the punch press mechanism per se and relation of its parts is substantially the same as already above described. The gauge carriage and its supporting frame is likewise the same as above described with respect to the general form and relation of the parts thereof, except that said supporting frame is disposed to extend from the left hand instead of the right hand side of the press base IU, and with the further exception that the stop member of the gauge carriage is formed by an upstanding stop stud d8 adapted to be engaged by the slot of a louvre, the extremity of which louvre is desired to be subjected to the trimming operation.

In the use of the press as thus modified, the gauge carriage is adjusted along the supporting frame and then clamped thereto whereby to p0- sition the stop stud 48 the desired required distance from the dies llt-41, whereupon the slotted end portion of a louvre L is passed between the guide rails 28 until the slot S of the louvre is registered with and engaged over said stop stud 48 (see Fig. 5). In this manner, the extremity of the louvre L is brought between and into proper relation to said dies dii-M, whereupon, by operation of the press and its said dies, the extremity of the louvre may be trimmed so as to round oli the sharp corners thereof.

While the punch press mechanism of this invention has been designed principally for slotting and trimming louvres for use in Venetian blind assemblies thereof, it will be obvious that the press structure may well be adapted for other speciiic uses.

I am aware that changes, other than those already mentioned, eould be made in the punch press mechanism, and many apparently widely dilerent embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof as defined in the following claims. It is therefore intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a punch press having cooperating dies for slotting or trimming end portions of Venetian blind louvres, means for positioning a louvre subject to the action of the press dies comprising a pair of parallel guide rails extending laterally from the base or" the press, said guide rails being of substantial thickness and spaced apart to form a louvre receiving channel therebetween which corresponds in width to that of a louvre to be operated upon, said channel being disposed so that its longitudinal axis traverses the press dies, a gauge carriage bridging said guide rails and slidably adjustable thereon toward and from said press dies, louvre positioning stop means carried by said gauge carriage, and one of said guide rails and the gauge carriage having cooperative means including a calibrated scale afxed to said guide rail for determining selected adjusted spacing of the stop means relative to the press dies.

2. In a punch press having cooperating dies for slotting or trimming end portions of Venetian blind louvres, means for positioning a louvre subject to the action of the press dies comprising a pair ofparallel guide rails extending laterally from the base of the press, said guide rails being of substantial thickness and spaced apart to form a louvre receiving channel therebetween which corresponds in width to that of a louvre to be operated upon, said channel being disposed so that its longitudinal axis traverses the press dies, a gauge carriage bridging said guide rails and slidably adjustable thereon toward and from said press dies, louvre positioning stop means carried by said gauge carriage, one of said guide rails and the gauge carriage having cooperative means including a calibrated scale afxed to said guide rail for determining selected adjusted spacing of the stop means relative to the press dies, and means for releasably clamping said gauge carriage to said guide rails in selected adjusted position thereon.

slotting or trimming end portions of Venetian blind louvres, means for positioning a louvre subject to the action of the press dies comprising a pair of parallel guide rails extending laterally from the base of the press, said guide rails being of substantial thickness and spaced apart to form a. louvre receiving channel therebetween which corresponds in width to that of a louvre to be operated upon, said channel being disposed so that its longitudinal axis traverses the press dies, a gauge carriage adjustably movable on said guide rails toward and from the press dies comprising side members respectively slidably engaged with exterior edges of said guide rails, a cross-bar afxed to and extending between said side members beneath said guide rails, runner plates mounted on said side members to lap outer top marginal portions of adjacent guide rails, one said runner plate being xed and the other movable toward the underlying guide rail for clamping engagement therewith, releaseable means operative to move the movable runner plate to clamping position, and a louvre positioning stop member supported by said cross-bar to upstand therefrom within said louvre receiving channel.

4. In a punch press having cooperating dies for slotting or trimming end portions of Venetian blind louvres, means for positioning a louvre subject to the action of the press dies comprising a pair of parallel guide rails extending laterally from the base of the press, said guide rails being of substantial thickness and spaced apart to form a louvre receiving channel therebetween which corresponds in width to that of a louvre to be operated upon, said channel being disposed so that its longitudinal axis traverses the press dies, a gauge carriage adjustably movable on said guide rails toward and from the press dies comprising side members respectively slidably engaged with exterior edges of said guide rails, a cross-bar aflixed to and extending between said side members beneath said guide rails, runner plates mounted on said side members to lap outer top' therefrom within 'said louvre :receiving channel, Number and oneof sa'd-Yguide railsand .thefrunneriplate -2,327/000 engaged therewith xhaving.:couperativegrimms in- 458;531 cluding a `calibrated scala :aixed l to .fsaid l. guide 1,313,277 rail -for determining selected .adjusted spacing 5 1:,-81`5;699 f Athe stopmeans relativeito :theipress fdes. 2,068,445 RICHARDHUTCI-HNSON. .2,214,665 814,16?? vREFERENCES v(JITED .1,1684500 `The afollowingreferences `are 'of "record in the 10 113604905 fileofthis patent: 163325674 UNITED .STATES :PATENTS Number Name Date Number 2,287,738 VJohnson June-'2391942 15 1382i674 Name .Date :Lund '-Aug. 17, 1943 :Fish lAug."251891 :Elder Aug. .19, 1919 .-Bonsur July '21,'1931 Brightwell Jan. 419.. 1937 Elf Sept. .10, 1940 "Schulz Mar. v-6, 1906 Caneld Jan. 18, 1916 VDubois Nov. 130, v1920 Rich June 28,1921

"FOREIGN `PATENTS Country .Date France June 28, .1921 

